I have the home I need, I have the love to give. I am ready.

I am writing to you as friends and friends of friends. There is no need to reply unless you wish to do so.

I need some financial help recovering from my singular form of mourning which is diagnosed as Complex Grief Disorder with PTSD.

My goal is $7,800.00.

Here is my situation: PTSD begins in the body where it lies dormant, waiting to attack. PTSD can take you anywhere. It's a phenomenon that begins emotionally, then can turn into bodily activity. The mind seeks a safe place while the body is reacting. There is no safe place in such a state, only more danger and the potential for more loss.

After more than 10 years of homelessness, in the last 3 years I have found stability. I have made substantial progress in therapy. I’ve learned much about myself and how to recognize and defuse the triggers that could harm me and strip back the progress I have made. Yet, even the most basic things are beyond my reach when I am triggered. When that happens I lose everything - my sense of place, myself.

I realize now that among the missing pieces in my recovery is the love of a companion. When that is missing I go missing too. In particular, in the absence of my deceased family, I need the love of a dog, who in turn will also need me.

Service dogs can stabilize and relieve the profound anxiety of PTSD. They are expensive. And for a low-income senior the upkeep is as well. But the love and relief a service dog can provide a PTSD-compromised individual is priceless.

Your help will be used for the purchase of an appropriate dog (with fees, veterinary bills, professional training and deposits). I also need numerous household items and clothing to make this new home a place of complete safety.

Please donate and please forward. The process is long. At at age 70, with my condition, time may be short.

I would be grateful beyond words, and am committed to paying it forward.

God bless you.